Long-term Appetite/Hunger Control.

So, I have almost no problem with losing weight; I love running and lifting weights, I can follow a strict diet plan, and stay motivated. However, I've lost 30 lbs multiple times in the past, and whenever I lose a certain percentage of body fat(~8%), my appetite increases exponentially.

That's why I've been trying to figure out for the last 2 years how our weight-regulation system works. The primary focus of my research has been understanding the role of insulin and leptin in our body and how to manipulate those. Honestly, I believe everyone can be as slim as they want if they had complete control over their appetite. You could probably even starve yourself to death if the hunger signals in your brain were absent.

So, I would like to ask the knowledgeable members of this community to give me some advice on how to manage appetite on the long-run more effectively. I don't care much for stimulants such as ECA, which loses its strength over time.

[Some specific questions that you could help answer]

Is there a way to increase leptin receptor density in the brain?

Are there supplements that aid in leptin passing the blood brain barrier?

How do fitness experts combat the weight-loss induced slowdown of metabolism and increase in hunger over a long period of time? I.E., what is the longest you've seen someone hold sub 10% while maintaining muscle mass and how did they do it?

So, I have almost no problem with losing weight; I love running and lifting weights, I can follow a strict diet plan, and stay motivated. However, I've lost 30 lbs multiple times in the past, and whenever I lose a certain percentage of body fat(~8%), my appetite increases exponentially.

That's why I've been trying to figure out for the last 2 years how our weight-regulation system works. The primary focus of my research has been understanding the role of insulin and leptin in our body and how to manipulate those. Honestly, I believe everyone can be as slim as they want if they had complete control over their appetite. You could probably even starve yourself to death if the hunger signals in your brain were absent.

So, I would like to ask the knowledgeable members of this community to give me some advice on how to manage appetite on the long-run more effectively. I don't care much for stimulants such as ECA, which loses its strength over time.

[Some specific questions that you could help answer]

Is there a way to increase leptin receptor density in the brain?

Are there supplements that aid in leptin passing the blood brain barrier?

How do fitness experts combat the weight-loss induced slowdown of metabolism and increase in hunger over a long period of time? I.E., what is the longest you've seen someone hold sub 10% while maintaining muscle mass and how did they do it?

Caffeine. It's a known fact that caffeine in small doses throughout the day can help to curb your appetite.

Binging on caffeine throughout the day is where you begin to see strength and energy-loss. I've had some of my best gains while taking low doses of caffeine via coffee throughout the day.

I skimmed through the academic evidences supporting IF's effectiveness in fat-loss. IF seems to be helpful in increasing insulin sensitivity which is linked to leptin sensitivity. I'm not sure, however, how much of the fat-loss that people report is due to improved hormonal environment or just simple calorie reduction from following a regimen. So the main question I have with Intermittent Fasting is whether the fat-loss is induced by physiological factors or psychological factors. I ask this because many dieting programs show weight-loss at the initial stage but later ends up sabotaging the metabolic system even further thus leading back to weigh-gain. I personally tried the system laid out in Tom Venuto's book, 3 years ago with 3 month of continual weight-loss followed by a huge appetite increase. So although those programs may teach you effective ways to lose weight, they never tell you how to deal with the increased appetite from lowered leptin levels.

And for the suggestion of using caffeine for appetite control: ECA was great in terms of weight-loss aid, causing appetite reduction and increased energy. But the problem that I have experienced with stimulants is that their efficacy diminishes over time. On one occasion, I had lost about 35+ lbs in 3 months using ECA+Erase and following strict paleo diet. My appetite increased tremendously from weight-loss while ECA had lost it's appetite reducing effects almost completely even though I was cycling it. So I came to the conclusion that stimulants are only good for short-term weight-loss much like a Band-aid treatment which ignores the core cause of the problem.

I skimmed through the academic evidences supporting IF's effectiveness in fat-loss. IF seems to be helpful in increasing insulin sensitivity which is linked to leptin sensitivity. I'm not sure, however, how much of the fat-loss that people report is due to improved hormonal environment or just simple calorie reduction from following a regimen. So the main question I have with Intermittent Fasting is whether the fat-loss is induced by physiological factors or psychological factors. I ask this because many dieting programs show weight-loss at the initial stage but later ends up sabotaging the metabolic system even further thus leading back to weigh-gain. I personally tried the system laid out in Tom Venuto's book, 3 years ago with 3 month of continual weight-loss followed by a huge appetite increase. So although those programs may teach you effective ways to lose weight, they never tell you how to deal with the increased appetite from lowered leptin levels.

And for the suggestion of using caffeine for appetite control: ECA was great in terms of weight-loss aid, causing appetite reduction and increased energy. But the problem that I have experienced with stimulants is that their efficacy diminishes over time. On one occasion, I had lost about 35+ lbs in 3 months using ECA+Erase and following strict paleo diet. My appetite increased tremendously from weight-loss while ECA had lost it's appetite reducing effects almost completely even though I was cycling it. So I came to the conclusion that stimulants are only good for short-term weight-loss much like a Band-aid treatment which ignores the core cause of the problem.

ECA stacks don't have to be cycled. There are several studies out there that support the long-term fat burning effects of the combination.